Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-09-22
CONTENT IS A CROWN.
A Life Changed by the Finding Of Pisis
Gold Ring.

OOlu hinHs
A contributor to Good Cheer tells
truo story Of o lady whose life was
changed by tho finding Of ring. Up
to tho time Of finding 1t, she had been
moody and unhappy. brooding over
her poverty. and fast becoming stern
and cold.
Filled with gloomy thoughts she
wandered one afternoon down to the
end of long garden. where. leaning
upon tho fence which divided 1t from
the swampy fields beyond, she moodily
watched the setting sun till 1t sank
away from sight. Tncn. listlessly
turning to 60 home. she glanced at
the carefully.tended beds which form
cd tho recreation OF her husbands
busy life and care. and half mechanic
ally stepped aside to uproot an In
trusive weed. which, growing In q
corner. had escaped notice.
The roots had taken deep hold. and
strong pull was required to loosen
them. At last the weed came up In
her hands, and she threw 1t over the
fence, which was built upon an EN-.
bankmcnt, into ditch below. AS she
threw It, 1t seemed to her that glitter
rs of gold caught her eye. She looked
down into tho ditch; but there was
nothing bright about the weed. not
eyen n yellow blossom.
Again she turned to 60 In. but she
could not rid herself Of the impression
that she had seen CLEAN Of bright.
ness rs she threw away the weed. And
so. after sho had prepared the tea
table for her husband. she went out
again while the long summer twilight
fingered. and climbing over the gar.
| den fence. picked the obj ect OF her
thought from tho ditch, for a closer in.
speciion. There she found heavy
plain gold ring securely fastened to
the long fibrous roots. and read in old
fashioned but plain cut letters upon
the inside of the ring the device: "Con.
tent is n Crown"
The ring with its most appropriate
motto. coming thus strangely and at a
time when its advice was SO needed.
seemed to the finder like a message OF
rcproof from Heaven. and startled her
into q perception Of tho almost morbid
state OF discomfort into which she was
falling. Sho took tho lesson TO her
heart; and ever wearing the ring upon
her finger. as a reminder OF the fault
she wished to cure. she became one oi
tho sweetest women in the world.
She took Off tho ring when sho told
me the story. and let me read for my.
self the quaint lettering within II.
But how" !, 'did the ring get
into tho ground for the roots to grow
through? It was like miracle"
80 1t seemed to me for years." said
my friend; "for spoke to no one OF
my message. nor told whero my ring
came from. till could feel my fault
was enough q thing Of the past, to be
spoken Of Then told the incident
TO my husband, anu no expiaiheo tue
sirangeness of 1t In this way: The
house and garden were upon ground
that had been battlefield In tho
revolutionary war, and this ring had
probably been upon the finger OF some
English officer slain upon the field.
In the many years that had past the
hand that wore the ring had crumbled
into dust, leaving it free for the roots
to clasp. and bring its message where
II was so needed"
could not easily believe that my
friend had ever required it. but so she
said. And. looking at tho ring again.
1 wished / could hear the whole story.
and know why and for whose sake the
motto had been engraved; but there
are none living who can tell that his
tory now.